Rainforests
what factors affect the weather;
what the climate zones of the Earth are;
that the climate affects nature.
describe the climate of rainforests;
discuss the living conditions prevailing in the rainforest;
Landscape and climate of rainforests
Rainforests occur in areas, where the climateclimate provides almost constant, high air temperature and heavy rainfall. Such conditions occur mainly in the vicinity of the equator. Winds from the hot seas and warm sea currents contribute to favorable conditions even at a considerable distance from the equator.
In rainforests, air temperatures during the day and throughout the year do not fall below 20°C and only exceptionally are above 30°C. Rain falls there almost every day. Lush vegetation absorbs and releases so much water into the atmosphere that even on rainless days the air is saturated with moisture. The day and night last for about 12 hours throughout the year.
Of all ecosystemsecosystems, inland rainforests absorb the most carbon dioxide and produce the most oxygen.
On average, every three years the area of tropical forests with the area of Poland is cut down. Different forms of management conducted by people in these areas make it impossible to restore these forests. Deforested areas are being prepared for pastures, agricultural and construction purposes. Tropical soils are very poor in minerals, so they are quickly sterilized. At the same time, the soil exposed from trees does not stop rainwater. For this reason, there are gigantic floods in India and Bangladesh.
Living conditions in the rainforest
Living conditions in the rainforest depend on both the climate and the vegetation floor. Seasons do not occur here. Intense rainfall reaches the soil itself through all layers of the forest, so there is no shortage of water. Everywhere is hot and humid. Other natural conditions, however, differ substantially. The highest layers of the trees receive sunlight without any restrictions, but at the same time are exposed to the strongest wind. The lower in the rainforest, the less light, and up to the ground level it reaches several dozen times less than to the treetops. At the same time, the wind force is reduced, which is hardly noticeable near the ground.
The rainforest has a multi‑storey construction.
The highest layer of the rainforest consists of single, huge trees that reach a height of 60 and even more meters and protrude clearly above the surroundings.
The canopy of evergreen trees is located at an altitude of 30 - 50 meters and forms an almost impermeable barrier to sunlight.
Below there is an average layer, in which young trees and other plants with a height from a few to a dozen or so meters are fighting to survive in deep shade.
The lowest layer of bushes and undergrowth is usually very poor, and in places it hardly occurs at all. This is due to very poor access to light.
In the hard‑to‑reach parts of rainforests, there are still tribes of people who have very little contact with civilization or do not have it at all. The high temperature of the air and the abundance of food that can be obtained in the rainforest provide them with quite good living conditions. Not everywhere, but someplaces leave them the opportunity to live as their ancestors did it. In many countries, the local population is forced to break with the traditional lifestyle.
The term jungle is often used in relation to the rainforest. However, this is not a completely correct concept. The jungle is a name for dense, green, tangled, often spiky thickets with heights ranging from a few to a dozen or so meters. They appear in southern and south‑east Asia on the banks of rivers or in places where high trees obstructing the access of light to the lowest floors of the forest have been destroyed.
Summary
In the rainforest zone there is constant high temperature of the air throughout the year, and also heavy rainfall persists.
Rainforests occur in the equatorial zone and are interrupted only by the Andean chain in South America and the highlands of eastern Africa.
The existence of rainforests is endangered due to the felling of trees and human activities.
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Keywords
rainforest, climatic zone, vegetation floor, jungle
Match the pairs: English words with Polish definition.
przeciętne, powtarzające się corocznie stany atmosfery występujące na danym obszarze, określone na podstawie wieloletnich obserwacji i pomiarów składników pogody, umownie wydzielony fragment przyrody składający się z elementów ożywionych i nieożywionych powiązanych ze sobą zależnościami, utrzymujący się w dynamicznej równowadze
| climate | |
| ecosystem |
Glossary
klimat – przeciętne, powtarzające się corocznie stany atmosfery występujące na danym obszarze, określone na podstawie wieloletnich obserwacji i pomiarów składników pogody
ekosystem – umownie wydzielony fragment przyrody składający się z elementów ożywionych i nieożywionych powiązanych ze sobą zależnościami, utrzymujący się w dynamicznej równowadze